The 2nd annual Shinsedai Cinema Festival, the New Generation Japanese Film Festival, taking place at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre between July 22nd and July 25th, 2010 has announced the first round of films.

Film Historian, author and Midnight Eye co-founder Jasper Sharp and Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow creator Chris MaGee are still putting together the final list of films for this year's festival but they've been kind enough to let the cat out of the bag on the first batch they've selected.

LIVE TAPE- The Toronto Premiere of Tetsuaki Matsue's award-winning concert documentary featuring indie singer-songwriter Kenta Maeno.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGliVNkzP8U

THE WATER MAGICIAN - Kenji Mizoguchi's silent 1933 classic by one of Japan's most revered directors is also one of Japanese cinema's very first independently produced films. The love story between a renowned female performer who literally makes water dance across the stage and an impoverished carriage driver will be brought to life with live musical accompaniment by Toronto experimental quartet Vowls.  *Co-presented with Toronto's Reel Asian International Film Festival*

CONFESSIONS OF A DOG - A gritty police epic that exposes the corrupt underbelly of Japanese law enforcement, Gen Takahashi's Confessions of a Dog was too controversial to receive a theatrical release in Japan. We are proud to premiere the film in Canada and to have Gen Takahashi as our guest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tyxm80VrGZk

ISLAND OF DREAMS - First time feature director Tetsuichiro Tsuta goes against the trend of shooting on hi-def video with his film Island of Dreams, an homage to 1960s films of Akira Kurosawa, Seijun Suzuki and Kinji Fukasaku. Not only was this eco-thriller shot on 16mm black-and-white film, but also developed and edited by Tsuta entirely by hand.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdseAjpaItA

THE DARK HARBOUR - A hilariously downbeat comedy with a heart, Naito Takatsugu's The Dark Harbour will be having its Canadian premiere at Shinsedai. The story of a lonely fisherman who discovers a single mother and her son hiding in his close.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul2jN6t211w

THE RED SPOT - Marie Miyayama's Japanese/ German co-produced debut feature is a touching drama about a young Japanese woman who travels to Bavaria to search for the exact spot where a car accident took the life of her parents and younger brother 18 years before.
http://vimeo.com/4238840

DIFFERENT CITIES - Experimental video artist Kazuhiro Goshima uses subtle CGI-animation to clear Tokyo of all but a handful of its inhabitants in Different Cities. We follow five inter-weaving characters as they wake up to discover they've become lost in their own city.

YUKI KAWAMURA TRILOGY - Musician, video artist, and now filmmaker Yuki Kawamura has crafted three touching Ozu-esque drama's about the impermamance of life and the magic that can be found in a single moment. Mixing traditional Japanese Noh theatre and modern hi-def technology these three films - Spark, Angel Robe and Grandmother - will be receiving their Toronto premiere at Shinsedai.

LADYBIRDS' REQUIEM - Artist and animator Akino Kondoh's second short film is sure to be a pleaser. To top it all off Kondoh will be in attendance at this year's festival.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFqAc9kRP8g

The full line-up and schedule for Shinsedai 2010 will be announced JUNE 17th and TICKETS AND PASSES WILL GO ON SALE JUNE 23rd. Learn more about the festival by visiting any one of the many streams of information...

Visting their official website: http://shinsedai-fest.com/tag/shinsedai-2010/

Joining their Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=98891934360

Following them on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Shinsedai_Fest

Subscribing to their YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ShinsedaiFest